Sooz, those components being displaced and being displaced more than once means somethings wrong. Who has been treating - the emergency room doctors or do they call a orthopedist for her. The surgeon who originally placed the hip should certainly know or be addressing it. Dislocating an artificial hip isn't all that common unless someone is going way outside the prescribed range of motion during the initial healing process (10 weeks post surgery approx)...but you'd (patient) have to be doing something reckless or experience a fall to even dislocate it then. The muscles and ligaments should support it once fully healed (again, if not engaging in reckless behaviors like downhill skiing, off trail hiking, singles tennis) - if it displaces more than once it would normally be surgically revised. Period. I don't know what to say about the insurance but she's certainly within her rights to have a functioning hip one year after surgery, I'd be wondering if it was a poor fit, poor surgery...either would be the responsibility of the surgeon, proper sizing is his job. There are surgeons who specialize in revising previous replacements that are failing...I don't know where she is but I know of two in that category in the Seattle area and I would imagine most major city surgical centers would have them. A primary care doctor she trusts could do that research for her; as another starting point - it would be a name a good well established physical therapist could likely provide too.

It is with some reluctance/(trepidation?) that I join this discussion, as my information is second-hand, very incomplete and relates to experience in this/another country than that experienced by most responders, several years ago. I spent a couple of months with old uncle, in the house where I now live, about twelve years ago, following the death of his second wife - no children from either marriage. He'd had three hip replacements, being mainly of the left hip, and I don't recall, if I ever knew, whether one may have been of the right hip, about 14 and more years ago, but think that they were all of the left hip. Don't know of what the timeframes may have been between the operations. He had ongoing pain in back, hip and leg, had used a walker for some time, and when I was with him used a cane. He, a keeper of beef cattle over many years, had cattle in his barn needing care and when his wife was there, if he didn't return from chores in an hour or so ... something started happening. But following her death, if he fell into a snowbank in February (the month that she died) ... we were pretty sure that he'd be able to extricate himself ... but, to be safe, I spent a couple of months with him, until his cattle went to pasture. We used to kid him that he should get rid of the cattle, as he was well off, didn't need the money and when he said that he'd got rid of most of them, our reply was that he still had to go to the barn whether he had 2 head or 35! The trouble is ... that many old farmers a generation ago, having retired and moved to town, spent a while talking to their fellows mornings in the coffee shop ... ... and six months or a year or so later ... turned up their toes and died ... not having other than one string on their lifestyle violin. I don't recall, if I ever knew, whether they were all done by the same surgeon, or how the referral(s) happened. I know that he felt, almost certainly with a measure of justification, that a poor job had been done. As I know that many who have had hip replacements are able to do pretty well as they wish, and seldom if ever with any pain or discomfort. ole joyful P.S. Spell check doesn't like my "snowbank": let me reassure them that there is such a thing (at certain seasons of the year - in our area)! It doesn't mind "joyful" ... but sort of gags at the "joyfuelled" variation. oj

I've had both hips replaced. A neighbor has had both hips and both knees replaced. My surgeon said I should have had mine done 20 years ago and I wish I would have been able to but no way could that have happened. Knee replacement and hip replacement are very different. The knee moves differently so in theory, the knee is worse. Talking to people who've had it done, it really depends a lot on the person. Both are MAJOR surgeries. The issue with the hip is the implant ball is much smaller than the body's natural ball. Hence they put a "filler" liner in there to take up the space. One warning made several times to me is that a hip can dislocate much more easily than the body's natural ball. As you heal, the muscles and other stuff will settle back in and help protect it. Ask your doctor about riding the horse, I'd assume it should be no problem but if you get thrown, it'll likely be far more risky than for someone who has not had replacements. Best advice I can give is the advice I was given from a good friend who had her knee done - do the exercises they suggest before surgery. It'll make things a lot smoother. And it does. I was in therapy for my back and the therapy was most of the exercises they recommended so I did a crash course and pushed myself hard. Everyone was amazed how well I did. I wasn't expected to do well after the surgery but I surprised all of them. For me, I was well prepared for the surgeries. My surgeon was fantastic and his MA was also amazing. Was there pain? You bet. A lot? Yeah but that's relative. For some it would be excruciating. For me it wasn't simply because I've had such incredible pain for the last 25 years I've effectively become numb to a lot of the pain. My GF needs both knees replaced and she's scared to death to do it and keeps putting it off. But that's another story. I was given the choice on having a spinal or general anesthesia. No brainer for me, I took general even though some claim the spinal lasts longer. There's problems with spinal in that it doesn't always work for one thing. They've had people where it quit in the middle of surgery so they had to use general. With mine, since mine were so bad, what was normally expected to be 2 - 2.5 hours took 6.5 hours the first time and 8.5 hours the second time around. No way would a spinal have lasted that long! But I was given the choice. And there's of course risks with any anesthesia to consider too. The doctor(s), therapists, nurses, etc were all amazed with my recovery, how well I did so soon. However a walker was ordered for a period of time immediately following surgery more for safety than necessity. With a hip replacement you're basically learning to walk again. Not a big deal but it's a bit different for a bit. Most adjust quickly. Good luck. And you're wise to go with a surgeon you trust. Makes a big difference. Plus they know you and I think that's a big advantage.

Hi, all! Today was our first full day at home but it feels like his surgery was two weeks ago instead of four days. He had his first PT session today and did well. We stopped off at a medical supply place so he could do a little shopping for things to make his life a bit easier and we ended up renting a lift chair recliner. There's not a good chair for him in the LR, they are too low slung, a real no no. No, I am not sleeping with him but am in the same room on a daybed. We don't typically share the same bed as his cpap is too noisy for me. Adhesions are the primary theory for the pop, as are tendons and ligaments. His major pain now comes from these incredible muscle cramps all up and down his thigh and inner leg. His muscles will have to heal from being sliced. The cramps are mighty but of short duration.